Miguel Vidal, acclaimed ornamental ironworker, has been working with iron
for over thirty five years and was the sole proprietor of "Mike's Ornamental Iron and General Welding" in the
town of Gilbert, Arizona.
Miguel Vidal is an Arizona native and grew up in nearby Chandler. He graduated from Chandler High School. In
the year of 1962, he enlisted in the United States Army. Stationed in Vietnam, Vidal served as an air traffic controller.
When
he returned home he attended Arizona State University and studied to be an Industrial Arts teacher. In 1972, Mr. Vidal
completed his studies and found the job market to be saturated with teachers, which at the same time, not receiving measurable
compensation for their hard work.
With this in mind, Miguel Vidal decided to open his own business in
the town of Gilbert, that being, "Mike's Ornamental Iron and General Welding". Over the
years, Mr. Vidal watched the town of Gilbert grow, to the extreme point of when the town finally offered
to purchase his property with new growth in mind.
There are now new businesses located at his site. His shop was located
at Vaughn and Gilbert roads under the "Landmark" signature water tower.
To this day, it seems that
everywhere you look, you will see a piece of Miguel Vidal, from the Gilbert Museum to the "Street of Dreams" dream
homes, seen years ago at the Islands.
Today, Mr. Vidal and his wife, Cynthia Vidal, live in Prescott, Arizona. They
are both semi-retired; however, they both continue to create new projects, as well as, an array of art for others to
enjoy. Miguel Vidal is known for his decorative designs and fine ironworks of metal.
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| Mike's Ornamental Iron and General Welding (1972 - 2001) |
